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As paragliding evolves so does its equipment. One had many factors to consider before renting or even buying there own paragliding wing. The wing is after all the center of this sport. We have tried to put together a summery of how it is best to purchase and maintain your wing, and also a few other related topics. Enjoy your flight! Wing choices
First you need to decide which DHV rating you want to practice and then make a list of all the wing manufacturers and their newest products that fit in your desired DHV rating. Calculate the worst DHV rating related to your speed system and your weight. If you don’t want to buy a new harness, then exclude wings without certification for your harness. (GX, GH). Look at the well known wing manufacturers. Restrict your list to wings that are less than a year in production, so that you buy the most recent technique. You should have about 5-6 wings on your list. Don’t look at prices because they are very similar. Exclude wings that are not assessed in well-known magazines. Find the one that appears to have the best achievements is comfortable to control and is easy to set up. Don’t give too much attention to a demonstration flight, because even a competition wing can behave nicely under calm circumstances and collapse in windy weather, this doesn’t make it a bad wing. Some colors can stand UV better than others. Buy at a reliable dealer, have faith in your choice and pleasure with flying, but don’t send an e-mail all over the world in an attempt to persuade others that you have bought the best wing.
How to determine which wing is suitable for you
If you fly less than 50 hours per year, you shouldn’t fly a higher classified wing than AFNOR "Standard" (equivalent to DHV 1-2, up to 2). This applies also if you already have a 10 years flying record. If you fly less than 200 hours per year, you shouldn’t fly a DHV 3 wing (AFNOR "Competition"). This applies also if you had one in the past.
Adjust chest strap
By adjusting your strap to a loose hold you achieve the following advantages: More return of roll movement of your wing to your harness and easier steering with weight shifting. If you tighten the chest strap you will have the following effects: Less roll movement in your harness (apparent stability), a bigger risk of turned risers after your wing folded in asymmetrically or a negative spiral. Modifying these adjustments has a hinge effect on the two wing halves. 38 centimeters heart on heart between the lower side of the risers is a good adjustment for 90% of the wings. Otherwise follow the indications of the manufacturer. This adjustment and those of the harness are the 2 factors which make the difference between a landing with a smile or a green face after a turbulent flight.
Wing degradation due to humidity
If there is still moisture on your wing when you store it, mildew will set in and this will accelerate the deterioration process of your wing strongly. This is one of the worst things that can happen to your wing. Wings may become wet in flight, but always store them dry. Never fly in order to dry your wing. It also bad to store your wing compressed. (By imposing something heavy on it or by rolling it tightly).
A large, well folded thrash bag doesn’t need a lot of space and helps you keep your wing dry when it rains.
A tear
Oh no! You have made a small tear in your wing. But you think that it is so small, that repairing is not necessary. My engineering background reminds me that even a small hole can reduce the strength of the material by a factor of 3. And at the end of a tear the stress on the material can increase even by a factor of 10. It is better if you use that special self-adhesive tape (made for paraglide pilots) that comes in a repair set with your wing to repair damage as soon as you discover it. When the tear is longer than 5 cm, it is better to have it professionally repaired. Pay attention that you don’t use ordinary tape such as duct tape because this will damage your wing.
Sunlight
There is a consensus amongst paragliding professionals that a wing is good for 300 hours of direct sunlight exposure. Therefore if you want to enjoy your wing longer you must protect it when you don’t use it. You can use a small tarp if you don’t want to fold it up. But at least bunch it up, and hide the top surface close to the leading edge (the most important wing part for its performances), by exposing the bottom side instead.
Clean your wing
You have a dirty stain on your wing, and you cannot clean it with water only? Leave the stain. Never try to clean your wing with chemicals that can damage the sustainability of the material in the long run. To remove dirt from your wing you can hang the trailing edge of your wing on a washing line, using clothes pins, so that the leading edge is above the ground. Start cleaning from the middle by cleaning your cells. Now remove the dirt that gathered in the cup of the leading edge. At the tips, remove the dirt through the cross vents.
Keep lines in place
If your lines are loose around the quick links of your risers, you can easily solve this for a little money with rubber O-rings from a hardware store.
Adjust brake lines
The ideal length of a brake line is achieved when the brake lines are deflected by about 30cm (1 foot) at the center of their length, while your brakes are released and you have fully activated your accelerator. See to it that the back of your wing goes up if your accelerator is activated, so don’t adjust your brake lines if your accelerator is not activated.
Leading edge hits the ground
This can happen during a landing or on the ground. Did you hear someone shout "whack"? If the front of your wing falls hard and straight on the ground, the pressure in your wing can exceed borders of the design limit and cause damage in its cell walls, seams, and diagonal ribs. If you experienced such a landing then check your wing or let it be checked.
Salt water damage
If you have fallen in salt water, you must clean all your equipment with sweet water. Many components will otherwise deteriorate, because salt crystals remain after salt water disappeared and these crystals are harder than the Kevlar fibers in your lines that will wear by abrasion. To clean your lines with sweet water may be insufficient to remove all salt crystals. It might be necessary to replace all lines. Electronic equipment that is immersed has to be cleaned with distilled water as soon as possible. Let it dry before you use your equipment again. If you frequently fly above salty water you can place the electric equipment in impermeable bags.
Flies
If you fly in places with many mosquitoes and you use repellant oil, remember that some of these products can damage your wing material. Always wipe your hands clean before you touch your wing.
Don’t break lines
Don’t walk on your lines, especially not on rocky ground. The fibers in the line can break and you will not see it, because of the protective layer. Don’t pinch lines. A small knot might reduce line strength.
Folding your wings
Don’t always fold your wing symmetrically to the middle cell, because this can cause constant stress on the center cell (center cell always to the outside). Protect the rigidification in the leading edge by superposing it during span-wise folding and making it part of the same fold during chord-wise folding.
Back protection
If you have a harness with a rigid Kevlar back protection, contemplate replacing it with a softer material. Kevlar back protectors were popular between 1992 and 1997, but medical tests have shown that they concentrate more load.
Emergency kit
Things that belong in your kit:
A role of 300 yards (approximately 270 meters) dental floss. It is strong, takes little space, and you can use it to pick up rescue resources from people on the ground when you hang in a tree. A charged-up radio, set to a common frequency. A whistle to call for aid. A small tool to be able to loosen your riser links to the lines. It may also help you to obtain your wing from a tree. A flexible "rope" saw, if you fly over hard wood trees (you need two hands to operate). For cutting into trees with resin (such as pine), a saw with a folding rigid blade is better (can be used with one hand). Industrial strong pain killers. If you crash away from a road, it can be your last chance to prevent shock and to keep you clear-headed.
First you need to decide which DHV rating you want to practice and then make a list of all the wing manufacturers and their newest products that fit in your desired DHV rating. Calculate the worst DHV rating related to your speed system and your weight. If you don’t want to buy a new harness, then exclude wings without certification for your harness. (GX, GH). Look at the well known wing manufacturers. Restrict your list to wings that are less than a year in production, so that you buy the most recent technique. You should have about 5-6 wings on your list. Don’t look at prices because they are very similar. Exclude wings that are not assessed in well-known magazines. Find the one that appears to have the best achievements is comfortable to control and is easy to set up. Don’t give too much attention to a demonstration flight, because even a competition wing can behave nicely under calm circumstances and collapse in windy weather, this doesn’t make it a bad wing. Some colors can stand UV better than others. Buy at a reliable dealer, have faith in your choice and pleasure with flying, but don’t send an e-mail all over the world in an attempt to persuade others that you have bought the best wing.
How to determine which wing is suitable for you
If you fly less than 50 hours per year, you shouldn’t fly a higher classified wing than AFNOR "Standard" (equivalent to DHV 1-2, up to 2). This applies also if you already have a 10 years flying record. If you fly less than 200 hours per year, you shouldn’t fly a DHV 3 wing (AFNOR "Competition"). This applies also if you had one in the past.
Adjust chest strap
By adjusting your strap to a loose hold you achieve the following advantages: More return of roll movement of your wing to your harness and easier steering with weight shifting. If you tighten the chest strap you will have the following effects: Less roll movement in your harness (apparent stability), a bigger risk of turned risers after your wing folded in asymmetrically or a negative spiral. Modifying these adjustments has a hinge effect on the two wing halves. 38 centimeters heart on heart between the lower side of the risers is a good adjustment for 90% of the wings. Otherwise follow the indications of the manufacturer. This adjustment and those of the harness are the 2 factors which make the difference between a landing with a smile or a green face after a turbulent flight.
Wing degradation due to humidity
If there is still moisture on your wing when you store it, mildew will set in and this will accelerate the deterioration process of your wing strongly. This is one of the worst things that can happen to your wing. Wings may become wet in flight, but always store them dry. Never fly in order to dry your wing. It also bad to store your wing compressed. (By imposing something heavy on it or by rolling it tightly).
A large, well folded thrash bag doesn’t need a lot of space and helps you keep your wing dry when it rains.
A tear
Oh no! You have made a small tear in your wing. But you think that it is so small, that repairing is not necessary. My engineering background reminds me that even a small hole can reduce the strength of the material by a factor of 3. And at the end of a tear the stress on the material can increase even by a factor of 10. It is better if you use that special self-adhesive tape (made for paraglide pilots) that comes in a repair set with your wing to repair damage as soon as you discover it. When the tear is longer than 5 cm, it is better to have it professionally repaired. Pay attention that you don’t use ordinary tape such as duct tape because this will damage your wing.
Sunlight
There is a consensus amongst paragliding professionals that a wing is good for 300 hours of direct sunlight exposure. Therefore if you want to enjoy your wing longer you must protect it when you don’t use it. You can use a small tarp if you don’t want to fold it up. But at least bunch it up, and hide the top surface close to the leading edge (the most important wing part for its performances), by exposing the bottom side instead.
Clean your wing
You have a dirty stain on your wing, and you cannot clean it with water only? Leave the stain. Never try to clean your wing with chemicals that can damage the sustainability of the material in the long run. To remove dirt from your wing you can hang the trailing edge of your wing on a washing line, using clothes pins, so that the leading edge is above the ground. Start cleaning from the middle by cleaning your cells. Now remove the dirt that gathered in the cup of the leading edge. At the tips, remove the dirt through the cross vents.
Keep lines in place
If your lines are loose around the quick links of your risers, you can easily solve this for a little money with rubber O-rings from a hardware store.
Adjust brake lines
The ideal length of a brake line is achieved when the brake lines are deflected by about 30cm (1 foot) at the center of their length, while your brakes are released and you have fully activated your accelerator. See to it that the back of your wing goes up if your accelerator is activated, so don’t adjust your brake lines if your accelerator is not activated.
Leading edge hits the ground
This can happen during a landing or on the ground. Did you hear someone shout "whack"? If the front of your wing falls hard and straight on the ground, the pressure in your wing can exceed borders of the design limit and cause damage in its cell walls, seams, and diagonal ribs. If you experienced such a landing then check your wing or let it be checked.
Salt water damage
If you have fallen in salt water, you must clean all your equipment with sweet water. Many components will otherwise deteriorate, because salt crystals remain after salt water disappeared and these crystals are harder than the Kevlar fibers in your lines that will wear by abrasion. To clean your lines with sweet water may be insufficient to remove all salt crystals. It might be necessary to replace all lines. Electronic equipment that is immersed has to be cleaned with distilled water as soon as possible. Let it dry before you use your equipment again. If you frequently fly above salty water you can place the electric equipment in impermeable bags.
Flies
If you fly in places with many mosquitoes and you use repellant oil, remember that some of these products can damage your wing material. Always wipe your hands clean before you touch your wing.
Don’t break lines
Don’t walk on your lines, especially not on rocky ground. The fibers in the line can break and you will not see it, because of the protective layer. Don’t pinch lines. A small knot might reduce line strength.
Folding your wings
Don’t always fold your wing symmetrically to the middle cell, because this can cause constant stress on the center cell (center cell always to the outside). Protect the rigidification in the leading edge by superposing it during span-wise folding and making it part of the same fold during chord-wise folding.
Back protection
If you have a harness with a rigid Kevlar back protection, contemplate replacing it with a softer material. Kevlar back protectors were popular between 1992 and 1997, but medical tests have shown that they concentrate more load.
Emergency kit
Things that belong in your kit:
A role of 300 yards (approximately 270 meters) dental floss. It is strong, takes little space, and you can use it to pick up rescue resources from people on the ground when you hang in a tree. A charged-up radio, set to a common frequency. A whistle to call for aid. A small tool to be able to loosen your riser links to the lines. It may also help you to obtain your wing from a tree. A flexible "rope" saw, if you fly over hard wood trees (you need two hands to operate). For cutting into trees with resin (such as pine), a saw with a folding rigid blade is better (can be used with one hand). Industrial strong pain killers. If you crash away from a road, it can be your last chance to prevent shock and to keep you clear-headed.
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Fantastic article that will stand the test of time. I would add that concertina folding wings has been shown to preserve wings well. It keeps the mylars in great shape.
Start by collecting all the mylars flat against ine another in the centre, and strap them into the concertina bag. Bring the rest of the wing neatly to the chordwise centreline, carefully expelling air out of the leading edge. Avoid forcing deflation elsewhere as is will affect wing porosity.